Flying kites with cotton manja is no fun: Rupesh Chaware

Activists campaigning against nylon manja have a clear stance — it kills people. Passionate kite flyers have a practical quandary — nylon manja is the strongest and ideal for kite-flying. To know both sides of the argument, TOI speaks to anti-Chinese manja activist Arvind Kumar Raturi and a passionate kite flyer Rupesh Chaware
Q. How long have you been using Chinese manja for kite flying?

A. I have been a passionate kite-flyer since the age of five. Earlier, I would use the traditional cotton thread. But ever since Chinese manja became available, say about ten years back, I switched to it.

Q. Why do you prefer Chinese manja over the traditional one?

A. At present, there is no better thread available in markets. Chinese manja is the strongest and ideal for the kite-flying competitions. Activists keep saying that flyers should not turn Makar Sankranti celebrations into a competition. But what they don’t realize is that competing has been a spirit of this festival since ages.

Q. How do you feel reading about people dying due to nylon manja? Do you think these incidents and the ban are changing mindsets of flyers like you?

A. The accidents are obviously unfortunate. Until some years back, we had no idea that the Chinese manja could kill people. With increasing cases and awareness, its sale has dropped significantly. But despite this, there is still a demand for it. A large part of its consumers includes well-educated people who are well aware of the consequences. We are not against the ban, but the problem is there is no good alternative available which would be apt for flying.

Q. What about the 9 and 12-cord glass coated manja which are now being sold rampantly?

A. The glass-coated cotton threads break easily after getting entangled. Moreover, preparing coated manja is a complex process glass bottles are crushed and chemicals are boiled. This causes a lot of pollution and poses a health risk to workers.

Q. What do you think can be a suitable alternative? Activists have been demanding that only plain cotton thread should be permitted.

A. The best option would be a machine-made nylon thread which is not very razor sharp. The blanket ban has led to huge economic losses and unemployment in the nylon thread industry. What activists are demanding is not right as flying kites with an easily breakable cotton thread would take away all the fun. Only a flyer knows the high he feels seeing his kite soaring up. Should we stop celebrating the festival?